In the susception and discharge of the mediatory office by the Son of God, the Scripture does most eminently represent, —
II. His love, as the sole impelling and leading cause thereof, Gal. ii. 20; 1John iii. 16; Rev. i. 5.
Herein is he glorious, in a way and manner incomprehensible; for in the glory of divine love the chief brightness of glory does consist. There is nothing of dread or terror accompanying it, — nothing but what is amiable and infinitely refreshing. Now, that we may take a view of the glory of Christ herein by faith, the nature of it must be inquired into.
1. The eternal disposing cause of the whole work wherein the Lord Christ was engaged by the susception of this office, for the redemption and salvation of the church, is the love of the Father. Hereunto it is constantly ascribed in the Scripture. And this love of the Father acted itself in his eternal decrees, “before the foundation of the world,” Eph. i. 4; and afterward in the sending of his Son to render it effectual, John iii. 16. Originally, it is his eternal election of a portion of mankind to be brought unto the enjoyment of himself, through the mystery of the blood of Christ, and the sanctification of the Spirit, 2 Thess. ii. 13, 16; Eph. i. 4–9; 1 Peter i. 2.
This eternal act of the will of God the Father does not contain in it an actual approbation of, and complacency in, the state and condition of those that are elected; but only designeth that for them on the account whereof they shall be accepted and approved. And it is called his love on sundry accounts.
(1.) Because it is an act suited unto that glorious excellency of his nature wherein he is love; for “God is love,” 1 John iv. 8, 9. And the first egress of the divine properties must, therefore, be in an act of communicative love. And whereas this election, being an eternal act of the will of God, can have no moving cause but what is in himself, — if we could look into all the treasures of the divine excellencies, we should find none whereunto it could be so properly ascribed as unto love. Wherefore, —
(2.) It is styled love, because it was free and undeserved, as unto anything on our part; for whatever good is done unto any altogether undeserved, if it be with a design of their profit and advantage, it is an act of love, and can have no other cause. So is it with us in respect of eternal election. There was nothing in us, nothing foreseen, as that which, from ourselves, would be in us, that should any way move the will of God unto this election; for whatever is good in the best of men is an effect of it, Eph. i. 4. Whereas, therefore, it tends unto our eternal good, the spring of it must be love. And, —
(3.) The fruits or effects of it are inconceivable acts of love. It is by multiplied acts of love that it is made effectual; John iii. 16; Jer. xxxi. 3; Eph. i. 3–5; 1 John iv. 8, 9, 16.
2. This is the eternal spring which is derived unto the church through the mediation of Christ. Wherefore, that which put all the design of this eternal love of the Father into execution, and wrought out the accomplishment of it, was the love of the Son, which we inquire after; and light may be given unto it in the ensuing observations:—
(1.) The whole number or society of the elect were creatures made in the image of God, and thereby in a state of love with him. All that they were, had, or hoped for, were effects of divine goodness and love. And the life of their souls was love unto God. And a blessed state it was, preparatory for the eternal life of love in heaven.
(2.) From this state they fell by sin into a state of enmity with God; which is comprehensive of all miseries, temporal and eternal.
(3.) Notwithstanding this woeful catastrophe of our first state, yet our nature, on many accounts, was recoverable unto the enjoyment of God; as I have at large elsewhere declared.
(4.) In this condition, the first act of love in Christ towards us was in pity and compassion. A creature made in the image of God, and fallen into misery, yet capable of recovery, is the proper object of divine compassion. That which is so celebrated in the Scripture, as the bowels, the pity, the compassion of God, is the acting of divine love towards us on the consideration of our distress and misery. But all compassion ceaseth towards them whose condition is irrecoverable. Wherefore the Lord Christ pitied not the angels that fell, because their nature was not to be relieved. Of this compassion in Christ, see Heb. ii. 14–16; Isa. lxiii. 9.
(5.) As then we lay under the eye of Christ in our misery, we were the objects of his pity and compassion; but as he looketh on us as recoverable out of that state, his love worketh in and by delight. It was an inconceivable delight unto him, to take a prospect of the deliverance of mankind unto the glory of God; which is also an act of love. See this divinely expressed, Prov. viii. 30, 31, as that place has been elsewhere explained.1